of sneezing and soup
by ayumi-nightbeauty
Summary: [BD Present for koukacs] With Finals around the corner, one Kido Jou could not take time for luxuries, such as relaxing or doing anything that was not studying. Too bad his neighbor did not agree with this. College!AU. [JouMimi]


Well, here it is. My first Joumi and it's a present for the lovely koukacs! Who I met over at Proyecto 1-8.

Happy, very belated, birthday, honey! I hope you like this.

It's based on this prompt: _I can literally hear you sneezing through the walls and I brought some chicken noodle soup over for you because I have exams to study for and your sneezing is seriously distracting me._

 **Disclaimer: The Usual.**

* * *

 **"of sneezing and soup"**

 **(With Finals around the corner, one Kido Jou could not take time for luxuries, such as relaxing or doing anything that was not studying. Too bad his neighbor did not agree with this.)**

* * *

It was, already, the nth time his neighbor sneezed since he sat down to read _(and re-read)_ his notes for tomorrow's exam. And it was, he felt _so sorry_ for thinking it, awfully annoying.

Ergo, he had to do something.

Letting out a sigh, he decided to do something about this problem when he noticed something.

Silence. Utter, _blissful_ silence.

The sigh that left him then was one of relief, and smiling a little, lips quirking up one side, he sat down before his low table and picked up the book where he'd left it. Looking over his notes, he read quickly to surmise which passage he had left to analyze, and then turned back to his book.

But he'd barely touched his finger to the page, when a barrage of sneezing erupted at the other side of the wall; it was followed by a whiny sob and then by a mix of complaints about the cold weather, more sneezing and _crying_.

"Oh, dear…"

Jou closed his book, then his notebook, and piled everything on his low table. Leaning on his elbows, he rubbed his temples, knowing he could _not_ simply ignore his ill and clearly distressed neighbor. He wouldn't be _able_ to, not to mention how the guilt would eat him up if he even _tried_. He knew that.

And he also couldn't help the impulsive desire to rush next door and help her get better if only so she'd be able to be her chirpy self and brighten everyone's mornings a little with her unabashed smiles.

Okay, maybe he was being a little selfish in his desire to help.

" _A—achoo!"_

And the sneezing was _really_ distracting.

Shaking off his confusing thoughts, Jou stood up and walked the short distance to his kitchen and started ruminating through his cupboards, choosing to believe his decision to help his neighbor was due to his dream of becoming a doctor. And he thought it unethical— _inhuman_ of him to leave the ill unattended.

Yes, that was all.

 **.**

When the sneezing had stopped, Mimi thought, for one wonderful moment, she'd be able to sleep in peace that night.

Her luck would not have it, _no_. As soon as she got comfortable enough on her couch _(she should really go to her room)_ , eyes dropping and mind drifting off, the sneezing started again. With a vengeance. And with it came the frustration, mingled with the sinking feeling that she had nothing to make her cold go away faster or anything to alleviate the pain—or anything at all.

 _At all._

Is it any wonder why she started crying?

Not that that was a good idea, as it would no doubt make her head ache later and—God. But she _hated_ being sick, and the cold weather was _not_ helping her any.

"I wanna die…"

Her cellphone buzzed; Mimi glanced at it and watched it slid off the center table and hit her carpeted floor. She watched it for a few seconds longer before reaching for it, figuring Yamato was answering her text.

And it was him, but as soon as she read his reply, Mimi cursed her luck, cursed him— _some best friend he was_ —and threw the phone back on the table. Then, she grabbed the blanket covering her legs and threw it over her head, screaming in frustration.

 _[Don't have soup, little brother raided my fridge last night. I'm on a train right now. Sorry.]_

In all fairness, she wasn't actually mad at him _(but she might get some revenge, perhaps)_. Mimi _knew_ he had plans for the weekend, he'd been planning this weekend for weeks to spend time with Sora, _she_ had helped him, but she was _desperate_.

Sticking her hand out, she groped blindly over her table, trying to find her cellphone without looking; finally caving and deciding to call her mother, but the moment her hand grabbed it, three sharp knocks echoed around her apartment.

She sat up slowly, head pounding and throat aching. She waited, and as she did she felt the stinging of an oncoming sneezing fit. One she couldn't hold back.

The sneezes matched the three sharp knocks on her door this time.

"It's open!" she yelled, and hoped it wasn't a delinquent or _something_.

Luckily for her, it wasn't.

 _Unluckily_ , it was her neighbor.

"Jou-senpai!"

Her cute, kind of dorky, and very tall neighbor.

God. This is not good. _Oh God_ , this is not good. Not good at all. She looked _terrible_ —tangled hair and bags under her eyes and she _didn't bathe that morning_ , dammit—and her _cute_ neighbor, whom she may or may not _(definitely)_ have a crush on just walked into her apartment, looking hot and concerned and—is that a steaming bowl in his hands?

Oh, but he was just _so_ —quickly, she stood up, and regretted it immediately.

The world around her spun dangerously, she felt a rush of nausea hit her hard, and while she attempted to keep her breakfast where it belonged, she stumbled forward. And soon, the floor was rushing up to embrace her.

 **.**

"Thank you for catching me, Jou-senpai," her voice was too soft, almost as if she didn't want to be heard. "Also, I'm sorry I threw up on you… and that I knocked the bowl off your hand…"

Jou looks over his shoulder at her, smiling at the sight of this girl bundled up in blankets and holding a cup of warm tea between her hands as she sat on her couch—red nose and disheveled appearance, he didn't think she'd looked any cuter.

"It's okay, Mimi-kun," he replied, his smile never leaving his face.

And he didn't lie.

It did shock him _(and scared the hell out of him)_ , seeing her collapse like that. But it wasn't her fault; not the fall, nor the fact that he lunged forward to catch her, thus letting the bowl fall on her carpet, not even her throwing up on him. She was ill, it was to be expected.

And he had gone back to his apartment to change, and laundry day was tomorrow, so… no harm done, really.

Jou was, honestly, more worried about her now.

"You don't have to clean that," she called again, sounding more confident now, if still too weak to be her usual self, "I'll call someone to clean it up. You don't need to—"

"It's okay," he smiled at her again, but upon seeing her face reddening he lost the upward tilt of his lips and stood up, "Are you feeling hot, Mimi-kun? Your face is too red, you might be getting a fever," he said.

If possible, her face reddened even more.

Feeling his worry spike up, Jou walked quickly to her side. "Mimi-kun…"

"I—I'm fine! It's not fever, I'm fi—!"

He placed the back of his hand on her forehead, then briefly cupped her cheek; she felt warm. Mimi-kun spluttered but then remained still, blinking owlishly at him as her face kept getting redder.

"Maybe, you should go to bed—"

"No!"

And as soon as she exclaimed that, Mimi-kun was overwhelmed by another sneezing fit. Once it was over, she smiled sheepishly at him, accepting the handkerchief he gave her.

"I… you made soup, right, Jou-senpai? Chicken noodle soup?"

He blinked, not knowing how she'd figured that out, but nodded nonetheless.

Her smile was small, but welcoming, and suddenly, Jou didn't think on the mountain of books waiting for him in his apartment, nor did he think of the upcoming exams—tomorrow's and those for next week. No. All he could think of was how his heart skipped several beats every time he was around this woman, and now…

"I'd like to eat some."

 _Especially_ now.

* * *

 **End.**

* * *

Well. That's al :B

It's not beta'd, so, if you find anything...


End file.
